Cooking for one

For singles, cooking can be a challenge. Cookbooks rarely offer recipes that feed fewer than four hungry people, and grocery stores typically sell everything from cereal to meat in quantities better suited for small armies. Eating out presents its own problems, with supersize portions encouraging overeating and unwanted pounds.

You can solve the eating-solo quandary with a little ingenuity and wise shopping habits. First, when shopping for one, stay mostly on the store's perimeter—the fresh produce, meat, and dairy sections, where you can buy items by weight rather than prepackaged. Be sure to stop by the bulk-bin department, where you'll find dozens of varieties of spices, grains, cereals, and nuts to buy in quantities you'll use.

Second, make good use of those ingredients by preparing a little more than you'll need for one night. Even if you usually aren't fond of leftovers, creative "second day" recipes will help you turn already-cooked portions into an entirely new and enjoyable dinner. These recipes, designed for one, include novel, quick ways to use leftovers—helping you avoid take-out temptation.

Brown Sugar–Glazed ShrimpServes 1, with leftovers / Sweet, sour, and salty tastes make this dish an addicting meal for a single diner or appetizers for two. This dish cooks quickly, so have everything ready. Serve with steamed rice and snow peas sautéed with orange sections.

2. Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Quickly cook carrot, scallions, and bell pepper until hot but still crisp. Remove from pan.

3. Increase heat to high and add shrimp in a single layer. Cook for 2–3 minutes, without turning, until shrimp are pink on the pan side and sauce is caramelized. Turn and cook for 1–2 minutes more. Add vegetables and heat through. Serve over cooked rice with scallion greens.

4. Reserve half the shrimp and half the rice for day two.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Calories: 580 calories

% fat calories: 15

Fat: 10g

Saturated Fat: 2g

Cholesterol: 173mg

Protein: 60g

Carbohydrate: 92g

Fiber: 2g

Sodium: 625mg

Shrimp and Rice WrapsServes 1 / Tex-Mex meets Asian with this easy wrap. Warm the tortilla in a dry skillet for a few seconds to soften.

1. In a small bowl, mix plum sauce with rice vinegar. Toss with spinach. Layer spinach, leftover shrimp, and about 1/2 cup leftover rice in tortilla. Roll up and serve.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Calories: 562 calories

% fat calories: 21

Fat: 13g

Saturated Fat: 2g

Cholesterol: 172mg

Protein: 31g

Carbohydrate: 78g

Fiber: 5g

Sodium: 869mg

Citrus-Scented Chicken BreastsServes 1, with leftovers / A great recipe for a healthy-cooking staple: boneless skinless chicken breast. In less than 20 minutes, you'll have dinner ready for tonight and prepped for tomorrow night. Serve with steamed broccoli and rice pilaf with toasted almonds.

Belgian Endive, Chicken, and Citrus SaladServes 1 / Seasonal citrus and sturdy endive liven up dark winter days with fresh taste. Serve with a slice of multigrain or French bread; if you buy a whole loaf, cut it into fourths and freeze unused sections.

2. With a paring knife, remove peel and pith from orange and grapefruit. Using the paring knife, remove pulp segments from membranes (do not discard membranes). Toss citrus segments with endive and arrange over butter lettuce leaves. Top with sliced chicken.

3. Squeeze orange and grapefruit membranes into a small bowl to extract remaining juice. Add vinegar, oil, agave or honey, and chili powder; whisk and season with salt and pepper. Pour dressing over chicken and salad.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:

Calories: 577 calories

% fat calories: 38

Fat: 26g

Saturated Fat: 5g

Cholesterol: 84mg

Protein: 41g

Carbohydrate: 53g

Fiber: 8g

Sodium: 351mg

White Bean ChiliServes 1, with leftovers / This pull-from-the-pantry dish is perfect when you want a fast, hearty meal. If you prefer, use your favorite boxed cornbread mix; just add the grated zucchini and corn kernels to the batter before baking.

1. Chop half of the zucchini into large dice. Grate the other half and set aside. Drain corn and divide into two portions.

2. To make cornbread: Preheat oven to 400º. Coat an 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl; stir in milk, oil, and egg whites, mixing just until moistened. Fold in grated zucchini and half of the corn. Pour batter into pan and bake 20–25 minutes or until light golden brown.

3. To make chili: In a saucepan over medium heat, brown meat or crumbles with onion. Add all spices and diced zucchini; cook for 2–3 minutes. Add remaining corn, beans, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Whisk flour into broth; add to saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, partially covered.

4. Before serving, set aside a portion of the chili and cornbread for day two.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (with 1 serving cornbread):

Calories: 705 calories

% fat calories: 17

Fat: 14g

Saturated Fat: 3g

Cholesterol: 71mg

Protein: 47g

Carbohydrate: 101g

Fiber: 18g

Sodium: 902mg

Chili and Cornbread JumbleServes 1 / You'll probably have enough left from the previous meal to double this recipe and invite a friend over—no one will guess it's leftovers, so don't give away your secret. We've cut the sodium to less than half that of traditional chili with cornbread, but to lower it even further, eliminate the olives.

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Stir black olives and crumbled cornbread into leftover chili. Spread into a single-serving shallow baking dish (8–12 ounces). Place cornbread squares on top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 15–18 minutes, until cornbread is brown and cheese is melted. Garnish with additional sliced olives, if desired.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (with 1 serving cornbread):

Calories: 983 calories

% fat calories: 24

Fat: 27g

Saturated Fat: 7g

Cholesterol: 86mg

Protein: 55g

Carbohydrate: 133g

Fiber: 20g

Sodium: 1,276mg

Now that her teenage sons are home less often, writer Kimberly Lord Stewart welcomes the challenge of cooking for fewer people.